Chokoes!

[Guest]

sorry, forgot to ask about drought tolerance... but i guess you summers are hotter than ours...

[Wombat]

we get 42 deg plus days and it is not a problem, the fruit comes in autumn and they are severly frost/cold weather sensitive so they die back to the root each year (which is also edible I believe).

Nev

[shiney]

I remember seeing chokos in the markets in Eumundi Market, Queensland. I remember them being green and shaped rather like a capsicum pepper. Never bought any, because I wasn't sure what to do with them. They looked like a sort of veg that you could 'pad' out a stew with to make it go further!

I did however eat myself silly with the giant paw paws, kiwis, pineapples and passionfruit.

[pureportugal]

I am collecting recipes etc. that I can use to help us work our way through these things. Any suggestions?

we've bought home-made chu-chu jam here - was a little runny but delicious. fraid i can't give you a recipe but imagine just follow a recipe for similar soft fruit. also, think i could detect a cinnamon taste in the jam we bought - anyway it was delicious.

very interesting reading this thread and excited that they're so easy to grow, we'r definitely going to have a go ... and incase anyone is wondering ... andy (catalyst) is my oh!

and on the subject of invasive/non-native plants - grow 'em in a pot to keep them under control!

xx sophie

[catalyst]

i´ve just planted one, on a compost heap, where we chuck all the stuff we clean out of our chicken shed...
its alongside 3 pumpkins.... they should all do good, but i´m hoping the chuchu will grow up the bank/terrace wall, while pumpkins will spread out under the orange trees...

andy

[Millymollymandy]

I remember chokos from when I was backpacking around Australia. Had to try one to see what it was like. A bit bland on its own but it was fine in a stir fry. They must have been cheap because I bought them several times. I've even seen them in France in the "tropical" section but didn't bother buying them again - not so cheap here.

[shiney]

Same here, MMM, I never bought one tho.

There's too many other fantastic things to eat in France. My mum lives there and all I do is EAT when I go there. I spend half my time trawling around the local market at Lebos and 'testing' the wines!

Mum is very lucky because there is a French organic farm about 5 miles away. They grow all the veg, wheat and bake bread on a Tuesday. They make cheese and all things wonderful there. It's lovely.

I come back at least half a stone heavier.

[catalyst]

we planted 2.
one came up, the one in the compost heap, but is growing much smaller than i imagined... and doesnt seem to like direct hot sunshine...
the pumpkins i planted at the same time are now 10 feet long, and threatening to swamp the poor thing, which is only 6 inches high...

[aka-Flippa]

I'm a bit out of step with the season, but reading this reminded me to plant one of these in my garden now.... to cover the water tanks.

Top 3 recipes in my humble opinion...
1. Boiled until tender & served with loads of salt & pepper and melted butter - Yum!!!!
2. Choko chutney
3. Sliced thinly & used in stir fry.

The trick is to select young tender 'fruit' and peel it under cold running water.
Otherwise your hands stick to the vege as you peel it - quite disconcerting really ...... lends credence to the theory that they could be related to Triffids, as their rampant growth habit suggests...
Halve them & remove the inner seed poddish thingy or it will be tough & furry like a mango seed after cooking.
Fruit left on the vine too long goes tough & floury when cooked...yuk.

Also loved the description of Kiwano......even kiwi's such as meself have tried eating these nasty lil beggars!!!!
I believe they are mainly grown for export to Japan where they are used as an ornamental decoration in fruit bowls. They sell for extortionate prices!!!

[diver]

can anyone post a picture of a choko as ,from the description, I think they sell them in the shops in Brick Lane in London where my daughter lives...along with lots of other fruit and veg that we don't recognise

[aka-Flippa]

try these sites....

http://www.vegetables.co.nz/vegetable.php?id=28
http://www.wineoftheweek.com/food/0104choko.html

[diver]

thanks, I thin I have seen them in Brick Lane in London and next time I am down there I will buy one and try it

[Wombat]

G'Day All,

I bought a new book about urban permaculture and they talk about using the young leaves and sprouts of the choko in stir fried. Also slicing up the very young chokos in stir fries too. I will have to give it a go next autumn!

Nev

[vurtpunk]

Nev,

I just found a stall selling cho-chos in my local indoor market so I'm keen to experiment (I have a rather ugly brick outbuilding that could do with a covering to disguise it)

Have you any idea if they could be grown in a pot? (if so what sort of sized pot are we talking about)

Also, what would be the best time for planting?

Thanks,
Dave

[Wombat]

G'Day Dave,

Generally plant in spring to harvest in autumn. If you hang onto your choko it will sprout and send out a vine. When it does, if spring is a bit far away, the pot idea may be the good one. I would try a largish pot,maybe a 20 litre bucket with holes drilled in the bottom and some nice compost and potting mix. Bury it a couple of inches down and away it will go, they are pretty difficult to kill!

They are a bit frost sensitive so keep him inside until it warms up. You can harvest and eat the fleshy root so I am told. You can always plant one of next years crop. It is good idea to have plent of stuff to grow on because they sneak up on you. One minute they are just a couple of vines, next minute the house is gone!

Good luck with it anyway Dave!

Nev